Vegetarian Paleo Cassava Flour Apple Hand Pies
Warm spiced apples tucked inside a golden, flaky crust — these little hand pies deliver everything you want from a classic fall dessert, built entirely from grain-free, plant-forward ingredients. Cassava flour is the real hero here, behaving more like all-purpose flour than most grain-free alternatives, which means you actually get a tender, rollable dough that crimps and holds its shape beautifully. Coconut oil stands in for butter, and maple syrup sweetens the filling without any refined sugar, so every component stays clean and wholesome. A touch of arrowroot starch thickens the cinnamon-ginger apple filling just enough to keep things from getting soggy — a small step that makes a big difference. The individual portions make them easy to serve at a gathering or pack up for a lunchbox treat, and that egg wash gives each one a gorgeous, bakery-worthy shine straight from your own oven. Let them cool just long enough to avoid a burnt tongue, then enjoy the kind of handheld apple pie that feels indulgent but is made from nothing you'd feel the need to second-guess.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
For the crust
- 2 cups cassava flour, plus more for dusting
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ cup coconut oil, solid (not melted)
- 6–8 tbsp ice water
- 1 large egg, beaten (for egg wash)
For the filling
- 3 medium apples (about 1 lb), peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch dice
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp arrowroot starch
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- 1
Make the filling: melt 1 tbsp coconut oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the diced apples, maple syrup, cinnamon, and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are just tender and the liquid has reduced slightly, about 6–8 minutes. Stir in the arrowroot starch and lemon juice and cook for 1 minute more, until the juices thicken and coat the apples. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely, about 20–30 minutes.
- 2
Make the crust: whisk together the cassava flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the solid coconut oil in small spoonfuls and work it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
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